


Worth

by Phoenix_Down



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Body Worship, Coping with Blindness, Depression, Distractions, Dysphoria, Established Relationship, FFXV Holiday Gift Exchange, M/M, Not coping, Smut, Support, coping with loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:02:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17120984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Down/pseuds/Phoenix_Down
Summary: Things have just gone from bad to worse for Ignis. Losing his home, his family, his sight, his king. He's struggling, but stubborn enough that he won't tell anyone. Only one person can break down his defences and get him to talk, that person is also the same one to distract him from the nightmares that haunt his sleep.





	Worth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Recipeh_for_Success](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recipeh_for_Success/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, Recipeh! I hope this lives up to the prompts you left (even if I did merge all of them together). Thanks so much for everything you do for the fandom, you're art never fails to brighten my day! <3

A familiar feeling of worthlessness washed over him. Most days he ignored it, tried to push through the emptiness inside and talk himself out of it. When it happened when he was younger he used to stare at himself in the mirror and tell himself he was worth it. He couldn't do that these days, there was a lot of things he used to be able to do, but couldn't any more. Looking at himself in the mirror was just the tip of the iceberg. Ignis didn't even know if the apartment he shared with Gladio even had a mirror. Not that he'd ask to find out.

Gripping the sides of the counter and folding over it, Ignis took a few shaking deep breaths. What was he even doing here? He had no purpose in life, no prince to protect or king to keep, he was nothing, worthless, blind and alone in a world where there was no hope and no…

The front door opened and closed. "Iggy?"

Ignis pulled himself upright and turned around so the counter was to his back. He took a steadying few breaths and pushed his general feeling of dysphoria away before addressing his partner of eight years. "In here," he called, proud of how strong his voice sounded, years of hiding away his true feelings behind a mask hadn't let him down just yet.

"Hey," he heard Gladio's voice say, closer than before and with a smile judging by the tone of voice. "Good day?" Ignis heard him cross the kitchen and soon Gladio was kissing his cheek in greeting.

"Same old," Ignis replied forced a smile on his face. It didn't quite meet his eyes but it was a smile. Gladio didn't have to know that he'd felt this way for the past couple of months now. "And yourself?"

"Good!" He sounded excited and something was put down on the counter beside him before hands were placed on Ignis' cheeks in a loving gesture. Ignis felt their foreheads touch and a little of his unease floated away. Gladio just had that effect on him, especially when he moved to capture his lips in a loving kiss. "I brought us a present."

Ignis looked up at him, a by-product of muscle memory and a force of habit. Despite his best intentions he tried not to make it seem like he was still looking at someone, especially if he wasn't wearing his visor. People didn't want to see his scared and broken face. "Oh?" he asked. The compulsion to turn away and break the gaze was too much but he combined it with instead turning his head down at the mysterious item Gladio had placed on the counter.

"Yeah, Iris and I came across a heard of untainted Garula. I brought home some steaks. Thought we could have a proper meal for once? Instead of cup noodles."

"Ah…" Gladio had been trying to get him back into cooking for a while now, said he'd read stories of people who were blind who could still do everyday tasks. Like cooking or playing the piano. Two things Ignis had no interest in doing, had no business doing now that Noctis was gone. "Maybe not tonight, I'm a little tired." It wasn't a lie per se, he was mentally exhausted, the drain from being trapped in his thoughts meant he just wanted to curl up and sleep.

"No worries!" Gladio chirped and moved away from Ignis. The door to the icebox was opened and the Garula meat placed inside. He returned a moment later and slipped his arms around Ignis' waist pulling him closer.

Ignis reached his arms up and over Gladio's shoulder, sighing into the embrace as he did. He loved Gladio to pieces, had done for years, but he was just so oblivious about everything. About Ignis' thoughts, his feelings his emotions. How did he keep going, what purpose did he find in life to move on from the gaping hole in their lives that was their prince? Everything they had been raised to do, was for Noctis, and now Noctis wasn't here…

"I'm taking you to bed," he heard Gladio mutter, arms hit the backs of his legs as he was lifted into Gladio's arms and held against his chest.

"I have legs," Ignis protested meekly.

"Yes, but I had asked you five times what you wanted to do, and each time you ignored me. So I took the initiative and now I'm carrying you to bed."

Ignis couldn't argue at that, it wouldn't be the first time he was so trapped in his own thoughts he hadn't heard a question directed to him. He’d lost count of how many steps Gladio had taken to get to their bedroom, the monotonous repetition of the counting helped keep his thoughts at bay. It also had its practical uses of enabling Ignis to get around the apartment without his cane. As it stood, Ignis didn’t realise they had crossed into the bedroom, until Gladio was lowering him onto the bed.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours hmm?” He hummed, pressing a kiss to Ignis’ forehead before pulling away.

“It’s not pretty,” Ignis mumbled, unsure if he was referring to his head or the thoughts inside it. Thankfully Gladio didn’t hear his confession and instead returned from wherever he had gone pressing an item of clothing into Ignis’ hands.

Sleep pants by the feel of it. “Go on, get dressed.” Gladio prompted and Ignis listened for his footsteps as he potted around the room. “I’m heading to the bathroom to clean up, but I’ll come back and lie with you while you get some sleep.”

Ignis nodded. Sleep, sleep meant he didn’t have to think, time could go on and he wouldn’t be plagued by his thoughts, or have to feel at least until he woke up.

Gladio moved away from the bed, four steps to the door. There was no sound of a door opening, so it was already open, it stayed open and Ignis could hear the ten steps across the main room to the bathroom, that door opening and closing and the sound of the shower being turned on.

Alone, Ignis fell backwards, face towards the ceiling, before bringing his legs up onto the bed, rolling on to his side and curling into a ball.

~*~

Ignis' dreams were always the same, memories of a time that had once been, of times that could never be again. Vignettes of his life; his childhood meeting Noctis, meeting Gladio the friendship they had, the relationship that blossomed. They had been awkward as kids. Thrust into a life of responsibility and power. Learned quite quickly to rely on each other, to seek solace. As they grew older that spark ignited into what their relationship was today. Partners in work, responsibility, life and love.

The dreams were always so positive, but then as quickly as the days had shortened, his dreams turned dark. Altissia. The turning point in their journey, a nightmare both figuratively and literally as the memories of his happy past turned sour. At every step, Ignis felt like he was drowning, swimming through the murky Altissian canals one thought on his mind. Noctis. He didn't love Noctis like he loved Gladio, it was a different sort of love. A love of duty of honour. He had a duty to protect his prince. To serve his king and his country. Yet he was drowning, finding it, oh so hard to breathe and when he finally pulled himself up onto shore it was to face him. His one true love, Gladiolus.

It was at this point in his nightmare that Ignis always wanted to wake up. He'd live it before he didn't want to relive it in his dreams. But every time Gladiolus would walk past him, check on Noctis and then turn and face him, sword drawn as if Ignis was the one to blame. That he was the reason for Insomnia falling, for the death of the king, the oracle, the shield.

There was a small part of him that screamed at his sleeping self, reminding him that it wasn't Gladio at all, but Ardyn, the mysterious chancellor of Niflheim. But the seed of doubt had already been planted, it had been left to take root and grow and Ignis could do nothing but watch as the warped memories of that episode of his life reminded him what a failure he was.

The ring, being blessed with the power of the astrals, bargaining and giving up his sight in order to save his prince, an act that had all been for nought once they had reached Gralea. It hadn't done anything to stop Noctis from starting the chain of events that brought them to where they were today.

The pain of the power of the astrals back then had almost been too much to bear, back then though he wasn't fighting Gladio, he wasn't doubting everything he was doing and he had the support of his love. Now in his dreams, fighting his love and doubting everything caused the pain threefold. It was almost as he if was reliving it over and over again and every time, every single time he dreamt, the last thing he sees before his eyes go completely, is the face of his love, looking down on him with relish as if he is enjoying his pain.

~*~

Gladio wasn't sleeping, he'd come back in and pulled his partner into his arms, and lay there, stroking his hair softly, watching as he slept. His heart ached for him, knowing that he was going through so much, knowing that there was so much pain yet he couldn't do anything to take it away. He'd tried, tried so hard to help but Ignis was stubborn, thought he could carry on as normal, that he could just pick up where he left off and everything would be fine. It wasn't, so many things were different now, that they could never go back to the way they were. That they just had to adapt and move on, rely on each other to cope.

Sometimes he felt like shaking Ignis until he came to his damn senses and asked for help, other times he just wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry. But he couldn't show weakness like that, he had to be strong for Ignis, for Noctis, for Eos.

He pulled Ignis in closer around him, the smell of him bringing back memories of a simpler time. He loved his partner and he wanted to do more for him, but he was at a complete loss of what to do. He'd almost drifted off himself when Ignis' nightmare started.

It was light at first, he was just restless, little noises of discomfort as he tensed in his sleep. It was still enough to bring Gladio out of his doze and loosen his grip. He'd learnt the hard way about hugging Ignis tighter during a nightmare. He lit the candle that sat on the side, bathing his love in an ethereal glow, seeing the way his skin sheened with a cold sweat, how he bit his lip at whatever horrors he was enduring consumed him.

The more Ignis dreamed, the more restless he became. His noises of discomfort turned to words, words that broke Gladio's heart when he heard them.

"Gladio, no… why…. Why are you doing this? Please… don't…"

Gladio tentatively reached out, stroking his lover's head, moving close enough that he could still be felt, that he could still be of comfort. But not too close that Ignis would feel constrained. "Shush," he whispered softly. "It's okay, you're okay. I'm here and I'm not going to hurt you. I love you," his voice cracked as he said the worlds, hoping that Ignis could hear him. "Ignis, I love you and whatever you're dreaming, whatever I'm doing, it's not me."

Ignis seemed to sooth slightly at his voice, and Gladio kept it up, he continued his stroking and sweet whispers, knowing it was all he could do at this stage.

It was twenty minutes before Ignis awoke, twenty minutes of Gladio lying next to him, smoothing his hair down and being close to him, whilst Ignis tossed and turned, muttered and shouted. Twenty minutes before he shot up in bed with an anguished yell and sob.

Gladio was right up behind him, hand resting gently on his shoulder so as not to startle him. "Ignis," he called softly, "It's me. You're with me and I'm not going to hurt you."

With a cry, Ignis twisted and fell against Gladio, surprising him with the sudden movement before he wrapped his arms around him and held him close.

"Hey now," Gladio soothed, rubbing his hands up and down Ignis' back as he held him. "I'm right here," his heart was being torn apart at hearing his partner, the love of his life, sound so broken and so defeated. Ignis had always been the strongest of them all. The one to hold them all together, but to have him now, sobbing in Gladio's arms was just too much. Gladio had known for a while now that Ignis was struggling, but he wasn't a mind reader, it was more of a hunch, the little things he noticed. The distance Ignis had been putting between them, the lack of motivation for cooking, training, trying to get back into a regular routine again.

He shifted slightly on the bed, holding Ignis close and rocking him gently, at this stage it was all he could do.

Then Ignis spoke.

"I can't do this anymore," came his tiny voice from somewhere around Gladio's midsection.

Gladio thought over his words carefully. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No," a pause. "Perhaps… you don't want to hear about it."

Gladio pursed his lips in thought, with the right words, he could possibly get Ignis to open up, something he'd been trying to do since Altissia. But what to say, what could he say that didn't sound like he was guilting Ignis into talking or scaring him off from talking. "I do want to hear about it," he settled on reassuringly.

Ignis scoffed but said nothing, instead placed his hands on Gladio's chest and pushed him away. Gladio complied, watching him cautiously.

"You're just saying that," Ignis muttered and Gladio sighed softly, Ignis was slipping and he needed to bring him back.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but no matter what's going on inside that head of yours, I will always love you. I'd love it if you felt comfortable enough to talk to me, but I also understand that you need your own time and space…"

"I'm surprised you still love me, I'm surprised you ever loved me."

Gladio bit back a groan. "Hey now, stop that. Of course, I love you, always have and always will and nothing is going to change that."

Ignis scoffed and moved to turn away, Gladio took a chance and reached out to stop him.

"You need to let me in, Iggy, where's the Iggy we had before?"

"I am the Iggy you had before, I was just hiding behind a fake mask of confidence and brains. This is the real me: blind, worthless, helpless, stupid, ugly and a failure to…"

Gladio snapped. "Stop that," he exclaimed, sitting up onto his knees and twisting Ignis around to face him, he placed both hands on Ignis' shoulders and squeezed softly, reassuringly and lovingly. "You are not stupid, or worthless, helpless or stupid. You are certainly not a failure and to this day you are still the most beautiful thing that has ever graced the earth.

Ignis scoffed and tried to pull away. "You're just saying that," he muttered, repeating his earlier sentiment.

Gladio signed and placed a hand on Ignis cheek, using his thumb to stroke the scar underneath his eye. Ignis flinched and bit his lip but Gladio continued on, he'd only stop if he was explicitly told to stop. "Ignis, I want to help, really I do, I want to show you just how much you mean to me. I want you to be happy again."

"I don't deserve happiness, not after what happened…"

"That may be what you think, but I think otherwise." Gladio honestly didn't know what to do, it was clear Ignis' feelings of unrest, went deeper than the disappearance of Noct, this sounded as if this had been ongoing, and Gladio felt guilty for not knowing, for not realising, maybe he could have helped earlier, maybe if he'd know he would have known what to do now. But dwelling on the past wasn't going to help, what he needed to do now is focus on the thoughts that Ignis was having now. "Talk to me Ignis, how can I help?"

Ignis faced towards him, lip still being chewed, but almost half leaning into the hand caressing his cheek. "My thoughts scare me," he said finally, almost in a moment of lucidity. "They're all over the place, weighing me down and I'm struggling to fight my way back out. Please… don't leave me…"

Gladio smiled and pulled Ignis closer, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I will never leave you, thank you for telling me, I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to admit that."

Ignis seemed to relax at his words, hands finding their way to Gladio's back as he accepted the embrace. "I'm sorry…" his voice broke and he buried his head into Gladio's chest.

"It's okay," Gladio muttered, knowing that this wasn't the end, but rather the beginning of an upward climb for them both. "You did so well to tell me, I'm proud of you."

Ignis hiccupped and Gladio held him closer, shifting so that he could lie Ignis back down on the bed. Here he pressed another kiss to Ignis forehead and smoothed down his hair. "I'm here," he reassured.

Hands reached out to grip Gladio's shirt, holding him close. "Distract me, talk to me, don't let me feel alone… please…" Ignis begged and Gladio nodded pressing another kiss to his forehead.

Gladio's heart went out to the poor vulnerable man beneath him, and he moved his lips down to capture his mouth in a kiss, smiling when Ignis responded to it, kissing him back. He'd been planning to distract him by reading to him. By just curling up with him in his arms and letting his voice wash over him. But Ignis kissing him back gave him another idea. "Can I show you how beautiful you are to me, how loved I want you to feel?"

"You may," Ignis whispered and Gladio smiled down at him.

Moving his legs so that he was straddling Ignis, he bent over him to capture his lips in another kiss. He used his hands to unbutton Ignis' shirt and exposing his chest. "You never did get changed," he muttered softly, drifting his lips down to press minute kisses down his chest. "But that's okay, just gives me more to distract you with…" He slowly pushed the shirt open, pressing little kisses into each new part of skin that was exposed. His lips ghosted everywhere, paying particular attention to the little scars Ignis had been collecting over the years, smiling as with each kiss of a sensitive spot, Ignis would let out a tiny little moan in pleasure.

Gladio hummed back and sat up, to shift his hips down and unbutton Ignis' pants. The zip followed closely behind, and Gladio pulled the article of clothing slowly down, continuing with pressing tiny kisses to each new part that was revealed to the elements.

It was slow going, but Gladio took his time, the longer he took to please his love, the less he had time to think about other things. By the time he'd pulled the pants off, Gladio was now standing at the foot of the bed, pants folded neatly, so as not to give Ignis anything else to worry about and he repeated the motion with Ignis' boxers. Kissing softly and slowly, down his pelvis, down the inside of his thighs, before focusing on his legs and feet again. The shirt was the hardest one, and Ignis sat up to aid Gladio in taking it off but soon, Ignis was lying naked before him.

"Beautiful," Gladio muttered, leaning down in order to kiss his love. "I love everything about you, from your head to your toes and everything in-between. Both inside and out." Ignis blushed. "I even love the little dusting you get around your cheeks when your flustered or embarrassed. You're so calm and composed that breaking down your defences and seeing the softer side of you is something special to me." Gladio grinned and straddled Ignis once more, being careful not to touch Ignis' semi-erection. This was about Ignis being loved, and not about getting him off. That would come later.

"You know what else I love?" Ignis shook his head slowly with a shiver of anticipation. "Your lips, the way they form the perfect cupid bow, the way they curl up just enough in a satisfied smirk when you've gotten your way. The way they get red and puffy after a heavy make-out session…" and as if to prove a point he folded himself back over Ignis and placed his own lips around Ignis' pulling the bottom one softly, using his teeth to softly bite down and his tongue to soothe. Ignis tried to kiss back, his own tongue fighting for dominance but Gladio stayed strong, used a hand to gather up both of ignis' to stop them from doing anything and held them above Ignis' head. He grinned into the kiss.

"I'm going to kiss every inch of your body, I'm going to love, cherish and give it the attention it deserves and you're not going to do anything but enjoy it," Ignis whimpered but sank back into the bed relaxing, conceding his defeat and letting Gladio have his way.

Satisfied, Gladio let go of Ignis lip, smiling at how to read and puffy they had become and he lightly ghosted a free finger over his swollen lips. His other hand, the one holding Ignis' hands in place and away from him, let go slowly in order to slide his body down, his mouth leaving traces down Ignis neck, nibbling a bit on his collarbone, down his sternum before drifting over to a nipple.

"Now then," he muttered, taking the small bud in his mouth and sucking until it stood erect. "You probably don't realise how amazing these are. His hand drifted to the other one, and traced around it, teasingly. "So pert, so easy to come alive and so, so, sensitive…" with each word he kissed Ignis' left nipple whilst rubbing over his right. On the word sensitive he bit down at the same time as taking the right in-between, his thumb and forefinger and squeezed.

Ignis gasped out, bucking his hips up and arching his back at the sensation, shuddering as Gladio used his tongue to lap at the teeth marks he'd left.

"Please…" a voice begged, but Gladio just chuckled, he knew what was wanted, and he'd get it in due time.

Instead, he switched, hand going to the left and lips going to the right, to make sure each got equal attention. Ignis was more responsive now, knowing what was happening, bracing himself for the bite. Gladio could feel him shuddering underneath him. His arousal, ready and waiting and Gladio had to shift slightly so as to not accidentally touch it before it was time. His own erection, hard and wanting behind his sleep pants, screamed for attention as well, but he ignored it. Ignis came first, both literally and figuratively.

Satisfied with the attention to Ignis' nipples he moved on and down kissing down his arm next, making his way to a little know secret that only he knew about. "You know what amazes me about this scar," he said, running his tongue over the healed blemish on his elbow. "Is how you managed to do it in the first place. Throwing knives in front of you, yet managing to cut behind you. I remember when I first found it, all those years ago. When we were first learning each other's bodies as well as our own. You were ashamed of it, have always tried to hide it, but I love it because it's you. Despite failing, you pushed on, you never gave up and now you're deadly with your knives…" he smiled and pressed one more kiss to it before moving on.

"Your muscles, so defined and a testament to the work you've done. You weren't like other Crownsguard, training from a young age. You were 15, 16 when you started working on what I see now. " He smirked and ran a tongue in between Ignis' stomach muscles, tracing the defined lines with his tongue, causing Ignis to shudder at the touch. "Still got a long way to go, before you look like me, but you have a different strength. A strength of the mind." He sat up, moving slightly in order to press a kiss to Ignis' forehead.

The motion had two functions, to emphasise the fact that Gladio loved his partner's brain; his smarts, his wit, his intelligence. But to also slip a hand underneath a pillow above Ignis and draw out the bottle of lubricant they had stashed there. It had long since been used, but there was still some inside, enough for what Gladio had plans for at any rate.

Side-quest, accomplished he kissed back down Ignis' body stopping at his navel and he chuckled before lapping at it. "Remember Noct's twentieth? Prompto trying to get everyone to do tequila shots from our stomachs? Only we actually tried it when the bar was almost empty when they were both sound asleep and we were too far gone and drunk to care."

"I remember almost being arrested and bringing shame to the crown for our antics of that night," Ignis' voice was layered with lust, gasping out the words. Gladio was quite impressed at how coherent his love sounded, considering his hands had drifted back to Ignis' nipples, rolling both buds between his fingers as he took relish licking his navel.

Ignis' hips kept bucking, obviously wanting to feel some friction on his aching member and Gladio let go of his nipples to place both hands on Ignis' hips holding him in place as he lowered his head, and began to kiss downwards.

Ignis' breathing quickened and Gladio hummed at the way his love almost seemed to vibrate with anticipation as he drifted lower. He hovered above his erection, blowing out a breath of air, making the other man jump slightly at the unsuspecting action. That's all he did though and moved swiftly on laughing to himself at the groan of frustration when he pressed a light kiss to the inside of Ignis' thighs.

"Patience is a virtue, or so you're always telling someone," Gladio mocked as he peppered Ignis' leg with kisses.

"Tease…" Ignis ground out, hips pushing upwards against Gladio's hands, trying to break free.

"I'm only following orders," Gladio smiled back, biting into his skin, gaining satisfaction from the moan of pleasure.

"There's a first time for every…ahhh…" Ignis paused mid-thought when Gladio ran his tongue on the sensitive join between pelvis and leg.

Gladio laughed, his own erection pulsing against the confines of his pants. “You were saying?” He mumbled, nibbling down Ignis thighs. When Ignis didn’t respond, he resurfaced to look at him and smiled.

Ignis had pressed an arm over his eyes, his mouth open slightly, chest rising and falling with every breath, heavier than normal due to Gladio’s wanton teasing. Satisfied that he was doing his job at successfully distracting his lover, he returned to his complete and utter worship of the body before him.

“These thighs were the downfall of me, I was perfectly straight…” Ignis managed to scoff. “… fine happily in denial until I saw you flipping around in a pair of cycle shorts, strong thighs allowing you to push off the ground performing aerial feats that I hadn’t even dreamed could be possible." He nibbled along the fleshy muscle, stopping every so often to suck his mark into Ignis skin. Hidden out of sight so his love wouldn't get self-conscious, but obvious to those who mattered.

He gave the same treatment to Ignis' other thigh, kissing along it, stopping every so often to suckle on, to claim his love as his own. Ignis looked so blissed out below him, writhing as he tried to chase release, tried to force Gladio into giving his attention to where he really needed it. "You're doing so well," Gladio praised softly, moving himself to situate himself between Ignis' legs, thumbs softly massaging into Ignis' hips, soothing him, and keeping him still. "There's just one more place I need to show my love, and then I'll give you what you want."

He lowered his head softly, breathing lightly onto Ignis' waiting arousal. Ignis arched up, his movement restricted by Gladio's strong hands pushing him down. "Is it clichéd of me to say that I save the best 'till last?" He darted out his tongue, giving Ignis' tip a little lick that sent Ignis shivering. "Probably one of my favourite nights," Gladio began softly, lightly licking around Ignis' shaft, light enough to elicit delicious moans and huffs of frustration, but not so much that Ignis could gain anything from it, "was the night that you took complete and utter control of me. The way you looked hovering above me, as you prepared and teased me, as you kissed and devoted your love to me. The way without warning you thrust into me, causing me to shout so hard I'm sure the neighbours heard. Only you could ever bring forth the yell and pleasure I felt that night, and I hope to astrals that I bring you the same sort of joy…"

"Gladio…" a meek voice sounded, and Gladio looked to see teeth biting down on a bottom lip. Hands fisting into sheets, hips struggling against the hands that bound them. "Please…"

"Very well…" Gladio whispered softly, and using a hand, guided Ignis' erection into his mouth. The resulting moan of pleasure went straight to Gladio's own cock and he chuckled before moving his own hips in the hopes to relieve some pressure. He took Ignis's cock further into his mouth, sucking hard causing a burst of strength to push Ignis' hips up, his back arching off the bed. Gladio removed his hands and instead, found one of Ignis' hands, linking their fingers and allowing Ignis to squeeze his own hand. His other hand took advantage of the fact that Ignis' ass was above the bed and found his entrance. Stroking a lone finger over his puckered entrance, he smiled at the whimpers the simple action managed to extract from his love.

The hand in his other gripped tight, hips bucked up, forcing Gladio to pull back. One handed, and leaving Ignis' entrance alone, for now, Gladio reached for the bottle of lubricant he'd retrieved before and successfully squirted some onto his hand. Hand slick, he returned to Ignis' hole and stroked his finger over his entrance. Slowly at first, Gladio pressed against Ignis' entrance, before slipping a finger inside, twisting as he did to start stretching and preparing him.

Ignis' toes curled at the motion, back arched, hand squeezed, a long drawn out moan fills the room and Gladio kept pushing. When he was buried up to his knuckle, he bent the tip, stroking along the inside. Ignis dropped his hand, letting go of Gladio's and instead reached out for Gladio's hair, fisting his fingers through his brown locks and pulling hard when Gladio saw fit to push in even more.

"Please…" a breathy voice begged, but Gladio just bent his head and kissed the first bit of Ignis he could find. His hip.

"Not yet," he whispered and with his hand now free of Ignis' he walked his fingers up Ignis' body, stopping only when he got to a nipple. Pressing one finger on top of it, he rubbed circles into the sensitive nub and continued with his other hand. Curling his finger upwards, and biting into Ignis hips when he found his sweet spot.

"You… are overdressed…" Ignis panted, back arching, fist curling, grabbing at Gladio's hair, shirt, arm, anything he could.

Gladio didn't think he was overdressed at all. This was for Ignis, to distract him from the pain of his nightmares and the negative thoughts in his brain. He just shushed his love and started moving his finger in and out of Ignis' hole whilst pinching and twisting a nipple with the other hand. He adds a second finger at this point, continuing to push in and causing the, most delicious moans to heard, his own cock throbbing with the need for release.

It wasn't long before Ignis starts bucking up, his moans louder as tried to chase his release and Gladio hummed happily, knowing that Ignis had done so well, that it was time that he gave him what he wanted.

Releasing the nipple he was teasing just long enough to re-situate himself, Gladio took a second to take in the vision of his partner splayed out below him. His scars not ugly as Ignis thinks, but rather a testament to the bravery and the selfless act he undertook in order to do his duty. "I love you," he whispered before trailing his fingers down Ignis face and resting them over his heart. "No matter who or what plagues your brain, I want you to remember that I will always love you, for now, and forever." He lowered his head again, smiling at the heady moans of Ignis, before slipping his lips over the top of Ignis' cock. He paused, allowing Ignis to just feel the warmth around him, before in one swift, fluid motion, pinched down on a nipple with his fingers, pressed in and upwards stroking Ignis' prostate and sucked on the cock in his mouth.

The combination of all these sensations was too much for Ignis, and with a shout, arched his back, curled his toes, fisted his hands into Gladio's hair and came, hard, spilling is seed into Gladio's waiting mouth. Gladio continued his stroking, his twisting and his sucking in order to see Ignis through his orgasm, swallowing every last drop. When the last of Ignis' tremors subside, Gladio withdrew his hand from Ignis' ass and pressed on final kiss on Ignis tip, before moving up to kiss Ignis' forehead. "Well done," he whispered. "I love you so, so much."

Ignis looked glorious beneath him, blissed, out, spent and utterly exhausted. When Gladio hovered above him, he shakily, tried to push his pants down, release Gladio's own throbbing cock and return the favour.

Gladio just chuckled and moved out of his way. He'll deal with that later, right now he wanted to make sure Ignis got some rest. So instead he lay down next to him, pulling him close into his chest and pulling over a blanket to cover them both. Ignis relaxed into his grip, the exhaustion too much to follow through with his plans to help Gladio, and instead, he placed a hand over Gladio's heart, head tucked into his chest and sighed, happily, before his breathing evened out and sleep claimed him.

Gladio stayed awake a little while longer, just holding Ignis close, hoping that his hold would protect his love from any more nightmares that dared plague his sleep. The future was dark, there was no doubt about that, and it would be hard for both of them, but Gladio was determined to help them through whatever life threw their way.


End file.
